Saudi Arabia may allow Israel to use its airspace — shifting a policy that has defined the region for decades

Saudi Arabia reportedly granted approval to Air India
to fly direct from Delhi to Tel Aviv using its airspace, though
it has not been confirmed.

News of Saudi Arabia potentially easing its airspace
regulations may add concrete evidence to reports of the
country's warming ties to Israel.

Several reports have surfaced showing covert
cooperation between Israel and Saudi Arabia, who currently
maintain no diplomatic ties.

Concerns over mutual enemy Iran and the Saudi Crown
Prince's push for cultural and diplomatic reform are likely
reasons why the two countries have gotten closer in recent
years.

Earlier this week, insiders in the Israeli aviation industry
told Haaretz that Saudi Arabia reportedly granted approval to
Air India to fly direct from Delhi to Tel Aviv using its
airspace.

Reuters confirmed on Wednesday that Air India said it is
planning direct flights to Israel, and sought permission from
Saudi Arabia to fly over its territory, which would significantly
reduce flight times by more than two hours.

However, there was no indication that it would not consider the
request in the future.

If the air route is confirmed, it would mark the first
time Saudi Arabia would allow commercial flights to fly to Israel
using its airspace, and would signal a significant shift in
strategic policy that has shaped the region for decades.

Currently, Saudi Arabia does not recognize Israel and
has instated a ban on flights traveling to Israel from using its
airspace for more than 70 years.

But news of Saudi Arabia potentially easing its airspace
regulations may add concrete evidence to reports of the country's
warming ties to Israel.

Israel and Saudi Arabia have shared goals

A
military exhibition displays a Revolutionary Guard missile, the
Shahab-3, which is claimed to be capable of carrying a nuclear
warhead and reaching Europe, Israel and U.S. forces in the Middle
East, seen under a picture of the Iranian supreme leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran.Hasan
Sarbakhshian/AP

Several reports have surfaced showing covert cooperation
between Israel and Saudi Arabia, who currently maintain no
diplomatic ties.

One key issue the two have bonded over is curbing common-enemy
Iran's continued expansion in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia and Iran's strained ties trace back to
a centuries-old divide between Sunni Muslims, who make
up the majority in the Saudi Kingdom, and Shiites who govern
Iran. The two officially
severed ties in 2016, after Iranian protesters set fires
in the Saudi Embassy compound in Tehran.

Representatives from the two countries shared the stage at
an event hosted by theCouncil on
Foreign Relations in 2015 and discussed their
common interest in opposing Iran. Anwar Eshki, a retired
major general in the Saudi armed forces and Dore Gold, a
former Israeli ambassador close to Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, admitted that they’ve been quietly
conducting diplomacy on Iranian issues since 2014.

In 2017, a
leaked diplomatic cable confirmed longtime rumors of Israel
and Saudi cooperation. In the cable, Israel instructed
its overseas embassies to encourage support for Saudi Arabia in
its battle against Iranian-proxy Hezbollah.

Kobi Michael, a senior research fellow at the Institute for
National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, told
Al Jazeera that Iran remains a major threat to many countries
across the Middle East.

"Unfortunately, the US left a vacuum in the region which was
filled by the Russians in Syria and by the Iranians and their
proxies in other parts of the Middle East," he told Al Jazeera.

"Israel is perceived as the most reliable potential ally.
Therefore the Saudis understand pretty well that it is a good
time to be good friends with Israel," he said in the interview.

The Crown Prince is ushering in a new era

Saudi's young Crown Prince is also seen as a key piece to
understanding the timing of Israel and Saudi Arabia renewed
relations.

The ambitious Mohammed Bin Salman has been spearheading a reform
of Saudi's domestic and foreign policy, which
include reevaluating its regional alliances, and
aggressively opposing Iranian influence,
according to Al-Arabiya.

The Crown Prince is also shaping Saudi's cultural ethos. In
November, Salman made waves by purging
anti-American and anti-Jewish clerics, making strong
indication that Saudi Arabia is seeking rapprochement with its
Jewish neighbor and US-ally Israel.

And by December, Israel invited the Crown Prince to visit the
country to discuss regional peace, and described the nation as
the "leader of the Arab world."

Experts say the Salman's rise to power and widespread calls
for reforms have allowed for a modern partnership with Israel to
grow.

Associate professor with the Gulf Studies Program department at
Qatar University Mahjoob Zweiri
told Al Jazeera: "The political changes in Saudi Arabia and
the desire to consolidate power is the main reason why these
relations with Israel were opened."